A Beautiful Cliché
by A. L. Holland
Summary: Scorpius suddenly wanted nothing more than for her to be placed in Slytherin. Potter or not, if Lily were to be placed in Slytherin he would account it as a sign, and would waste no time getting to know her. The Sorting Hat hummed in thought.
1. Chapter 1

_**The Sorting Hat**_

He'd seen her boarding the train; her red hair flamboyant against the seemingly less vibrant hair of her sibling. Of course, that was basically impossible; accounting for the fact anyone would tell you their hair was precisely the same colour as her brother's. Sitting next to the black-haired brother made it all the worst. The bright red/orange contrasted evidently against the ebony.

Leaving that alone, he considered that she would just be overbearingly annoying. An infamous Potter, as she was. His father never spoke ill of Harry Potter, surprisingly enough, because his mother always talked about how they were enemies in school. It confused Scorpius; but he left the subject alone. Seeing the ever-famous Harry Potter with his three children and wife, Scorpius could see nothing wrong.

Seeing Harry Potter's daughter was different. Much different.

She was eleven, yes; no doubt going through an awkward stage at the moment. But she showed no signs of this. She was confident of herself around girls who had already finished with that. Or, so it seemed. He supposed she must have been nervous, though. Her incessant wringing of her hands was an indication of this, undoubtedly. The habit was rather unattractive, actually.

Still, he looked past this. Her complexion was clear, and surprisingly freckle-free. He'd almost been looking forward to the freckles that her mother had, splayed across her own features. However, this was another thing that was easily forgotten. Her eyes, brown. Boring and average. Like all brown eyes were. He'd been hoping for the striking green eyes her brother had inherited.

Though he could spot nothing out of the ordinary, he still could not find one thing he'd change about the small girl.

And he'd looked. He was still looking now, as she sat with the Sorting Hat atop her head, biting her lip fervently, eyes closed tightly, looking nervous.

Scorpius suddenly wanted nothing more than for her to be placed in Slytherin. Potter or not, if Lily were to be placed in Slytherin he would account it as a sign, and would waste no time getting to know her. The Sorting Hat hummed in thought.

"Yes…very bright…a wonderful addition to Ravenclaw, perhaps?" She looked disappointed at once. Some Ravenclaws scoffed and made rude comments at this. He smiled to himself before frowning. Ravenclaw was not something to be ashamed of, but if that were the case, she'd want to be in Gryffindor. That was her choice of house, wasn't it?

Scorpius felt a pain like no other clamp down on his chest.

"No…maybe not. Interesting. Very complex." The Sorting Hat had not talked this much to any students as far as Scorpius knew. "Daughter of Ginny Weasley and Harry Potter," whispers and murmurs started up, but stopped once the hat continued, "Albus and James Potter…Gryffindors…ah, what is this?" His breathing stopped. "Yes, I believe I've the perfect place for you."

The hall was quiet. Scorpius made desperate pleas in his mind for the Sorting Hat to just say 'Slytherin'.

"Gryffindor it is." He felt like falling to his knees and screaming in protest. But she was happy. She grinned and hopped to the crowd that cheered as she neared. Abruptly, he didn't want her to be Slytherin any longer. _He _wanted to be _Gryffindor_. Even a place at the Hufflepuff house seemed better than his seat with the Slytherins.

Lily caught his eye and sent a questioning, but concerned look in his direction. He could only imagine the pain that was evident on his face. He looked away. Thinking, he should have disregarded the thought the moment he knew she was a Potter.

**A/N: Okay, I don't own Harry Potter. Obviously. But this is my first HP fic, not my first fic altogether, but it might as well be. Hopefully you enjoyed reading it? It's a little sad, I know. But I just love the pairing and couldn't resist. Let me know what you think please!!! :D**


	2. Chapter 2

_**Mentorship**_

Fourth year brought along with it some interesting new interactions. As per usual, Gryffindor and Slytherin had the majority—if not all—of their classes together. Much to Scorpius Malfoy's dismay—and happiness, he couldn't decide which it was—Headmistress McGonagall and the Duelling teacher, Professor Grenholt, decided upon having mentorship for second-years and third-years.

Lucky as fourth-years were, they were paired with the second-years. Each of them their own partner. Somehow, this was supposed to be a learning experience for both parties. Scorpius gaped at the name on his strip of parchment.

_Lily Potter_, it read. Of all the second-years, he'd been partnered with _Lily Potter_. He wasn't sure whether he should be grinning or glaring. His best friend, Gregory Flint, patted his shoulder roughly.

"_Tough break, man. That Potter is so small; she can't possibly have much magic in her. Doesn't seem to stand out very much in her classes either. Good luck with that one." Gregory's words seemed…oddly fitting._

"_Yeah. Yeah—definitely." And yet, his own seemed ridiculously false._

Scorpius sighed; he'd not forgotten last year's sorting incident. The girl probably thought he was a lunatic.

"You ready?" Gregory taunted. Scorpius scowled at him.

"You're hilarious." A Gryffindor girl not too far from him shushed the two boys. "Besides, what do you really know about her?" Greg shrugged.

"Not much; her brothers seem exceptionally popular, though. Apparently, the youngest is the newest hot-shot flyer for Gryffindor. The eldest is the team's star beater; you know James Potter." Scorpius nodded. He knew alright. He'd knocked him off his broom once with a bludger when he was moments from the snitch. Gryffindor had won that game by a landslide.

"That doesn't mean anything to me. It proves nothing about the girl." He mumbled. Gregory half-shrugged.

"Well, if most of the school knows about the Potter boys, then why is the girl so low-key? She obviously isn't anything special." Scorpius said nothing as Professor Grenholt had begun to speak.

"A'right, fourth-years. The Headmistress has informed me that the second-years are on their way. I'd like to remind you that this is as much for their benefit as your own. You will learn just as they will." He may have been imagining it—Grenholt was naturally a happy person—but Scorpius could have sworn his eyes danced over him with amusement. "You may be surprised."

The second-years arrived shortly after and took a spot standing in front of their mentors. The classroom had been cleared and the Fourth-years and second-years were lined parallel to each other.

"Lily Potter, though I suppose you know that already." Scorpius nodded and shook her extended hand; marvelling at the difference between his large palm and her small one.

"Scorpius Malfoy." Again, the odd difference between her high-alto voice and his practically bass tone was mind-boggling. Gregory had been right though, she was rather small. Even from his own mind, he'd imagined her to be larger. "We'll be working on disarming." He informed her as the rest of the class began. She nodded. "Let me show you." He took a step away from her and they pulled their wands out. He noted for no particular reason that hers seemed to be rather long at about eleven inches.

"_Expelliarmus_!" The red light hit her wand and sent it air bound. She watched it with wide eyes.

"Wow. I don't know if I'll be able to." He shrugged.

"You won't get it on your first try." She probably wouldn't, but he felt guilty for immediately discouraging her like that. Nonetheless, she smiled and nodded.

"'Kay." She inhaled deeply and looked at him. "_Expelliarmus_!" His wand flew out of his hand and across the room. He looked at her in astonishment. She was utterly giddy as she apologized and went to fetch his wand. "That felt wonderful!" He smiled slightly at her as she prepared to disarm him again. She did so, unfailingly five times in a row.

"Perhaps," Professor Grenholt suggested, "you could practise in more of a duelling manner." Lily nodded enthusiastically. "Go on." Scorpius felt arrogant, but was almost glad he'd be showing her up. It was odd, seeing as how only she and the professor would know.

"_Expel—_"

"_Expelliarmus_!" Lily's shout set his mind reeling. How had she been so quick? His wand was gone before he'd had time to register it.

"_Well done_, Ms. Potter!" Grenholt clapped mildly before moving on to the next pair.

"Sorry." Lily apologized once Scorpius had his wand back.

"Don't apologize. It seems we need something more difficult." She smiled at him, and he couldn't resist returning the gesture. "Impedimenta, perhaps?" Lily bit her lip. "What's wrong?"

"Maybe disarming was only just luck. We—we should stick with the rest of the class, I reckon." She looked nervous. Though Scorpius scolded his mind for the thought, he couldn't help but realize she really was adorable-looking when she was tense. Her hands were wringing, again.

"Nonsense. That wasn't luck, not seven times straight. Grenholt won't mind, promise." She looked anxiously over her shoulder before nodding. "Straightforward enough, it is." He raised his wand, "_impedimenta_!" She froze in her place, a completive look on her features. Minutes later, she grinned at him.

"Wow. I'll try." Heaving a heavy breath, she raised her wand. "_Impedimenta_!" He grunted as the spell contacted his gut and wrenched him mildly. Lily was furiously chewing her bottom lip. "I'm sorry." She said hastily as she quickly made her way to his side. "Are you okay? I told you it was only luck! I hurt you, didn't I?" Scorpius pinned her flailing hands to her sides and leaned over to look in her eyes.

"I'm—fine. Truthfully." He smiled to reassure her, but she still looked wary. "Let's try again." She sighed but nodded nevertheless. Arm raised, she was poised to use the hex. "Wait," Scorpius walked behind her, put his hand in the crook of her elbow and lowered her arm. "Don't flourish your wand." Still a bit confounded from the contact, she nodded without another word.

"_Impedimenta_!" Moments later he found himself gawking at her. "Was that okay? You don't feel weird, or anything?" His jaw fell, as he was unable to do much. "I'll take that as a 'yes'." She mumbled to herself.

"No, no. I'm—I'm in _shock_. Nothing's wrong—nothing wrong _at all_. I'm appalled, it took me forever to get that hex just right. Amazing. You know, I'm frightened, that by the end of the class, you'll already be on to learning to stun!" Despite the fact she looked utterly uncomfortable, she smiled and blushed all the same.

"Okay. A few more times, you reckon?" He did, and five successful tries later, Professor Grenholt was beaming.

"Magnificent! Class! Second and fourth-years alike, I believe we've found an example of a job well done!" Scorpius was bemused, to say the least, when Lily whimpered only loud enough for him to hear as the second years exchanged exasperated looks—and a fourth year, Scorpius recognized as Albus Potter, raised a sceptical eyebrow. "Lily, demonstrate, why don't you?"

"C'mon, Lils." He felt a strange feeling at the pit of his stomach, using the nickname for casually. "Like before, you can do it." Her eyes were wide and she looked absolutely terrified. Scorpius grinned tauntingly. "If it makes you feel any better, I won't go easy on you." Now, Lily was looking—attractively—confused. "I can't let the likes of a _Gryffindor _beat me—not with a handful of Slytherin present." Lily's eyes narrowed and the two circled each other, wands drawn.

"You're going to be sorry you said that, Malfoy." She said quietly, not making a show in the least. He raised an eyebrow. It was oddly entertaining—watching this small and fragile person threaten someone so much larger and seemingly far less breakable. He smirked.

"_Expelliarmus_!" To Scorpius' shock, his wand went soaring to a none-the-expecting second-year. This time, she smirked. He'd still been deciding upon the easy defeat, or a more cutting win. Apparently, she'd chosen a third option—losing shamefully.

"Uh…" He glanced at his wand briefly before she pointed her wand.

"_Impedimenta_!" When he looked around, the class was already gone. Not expecting Lily to still be around, he smiled to himself and shook his head as he looked at the spot where his wand had fallen. He looked closer—it was gone. "Sorry." Lily was standing beside him suddenly, offering him his wand.

"Thanks. Shouldn't you be on to your next class?" Lily laughed.

"It's lunch, Scorpius." He smiled slightly, remembering that it was, in fact, lunch.

"Oh; right." He felt his face become warm and knew his ears had reddened. "I suppose you're a hit with your Gryffindor pals." He smirked down at her, pleased when her cheeks were overcome by a faint pink.

"You could say that." She said slowly. Her tone was light and teasing, but Scorpius was still confused.

--

The next class brought with it more interesting feats. Lily was certainly a second-year well worth mentioning. She was magnificent, so Scorpius was able to see.

"Stunning. We're going to work on stunning, seeing as you were able to take on two classes worth yesterday." Lily blinked at him.

"I told you—"

"It isn't a bad thing. And, no, we aren't holding back with the rest of the class." She slumped a little and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Fine." She grumbled before pulling her wand out. "Don't blame me if you get hurt." Scorpius rolled his eyes.

"To stun something isn't easy; you won't get it right away. And I won't get hurt." He added as an afterthought. "Go ahead." They'd isolated themselves from the rest of the class to have more space.

"'Kay." She raised her wand and inhaled. Scorpius noted the usual air of severe anxiety was gone. Questionable though it was, he didn't have much time to ponder it before she began. "_Stupefy_!" His body flew through the air and he grunted as he landed on his back on the tiled floors. He walked quickly over to her, poised to ask his questions. She was smirking and looking haughty.

"_What_ the hell was that?" She grinned at him and put her wand in her robes.

"_That_ was a second-year stunning a fourth-year. I never said I didn't know what I was doing." He gaped at her.

"For the love of Merlin, you're right." She smiled.

"I know."

--

After Christmas holidays Lily was far ahead of her class. Scorpius was arrogant to the point of bragging because she was his partner. The girl was absolutely brilliant. Professor Grenholt had the two of them duelling already—Scorpius, with the upper-hand, had surprisingly lost a few times. The painful taunting from the Slytherin fourth and second-years was lessened by how utterly happy Lily was every time she had him defeated.

The two of them certainly turned heads. A Slytherin and Gryffindor, strangely close and friendly. More so, a Malfoy and Potter—pure-blood and Muggle-lover. If ever a destined pair of enemies, it was the two of them—if not, a close second to James.

"Happy Christmas." Lily said brightly as she stood beside him in class. He chuckled lowly.

"A little late for that, don't you think?" She nudged him what she hoped was roughly, but was less than a tickle. "Happy Christmas, to you as well, Ms. Potter." She smiled in satisfaction.

"There are those Malfoy mannerisms I've been waiting for."

"Class, today we will be doing something different." Professor Grenholt said. "To get a better feel of where we are, we'll be having each of our partners duel. You will be marked." The duels were called upon alphabetical order according to second-years' names. Come 'Potter, Lily' she was shaking and extremely nervous.

"C'mon, you're ten times better than the rest of them." She shot him a supposedly dangerous look. He resisted the urge to laugh; how someone so small and intimidating could even ponder a situation in which they inflict pain upon another was highly amusing. The two bowed and raised their wands.

"_Confundo_!" She said immediately.

"_Protego_." He hastily muttered, before the hex came in contact with him. "_Accio _books—_oppugno_!" The text-books were hurling towards Lily who looked determined.

"_Reducto_!" Scorpius looked, mouth agape, as his books were obliterated.

"_Rictusempra_!" Before the tickling hex could hit her like he'd hoped, she took action.

"_Salvio hexia_!" She grinned before shouting, "_tarantallegra_!" Gasps and laughter filled the room in muffles as Scorpius' legs moved uncontrollably. Lily looked gleeful.

"_Ex-expelliarm—_"

"_Levicorpus_!" Scorpius was yanked in the air by his ankle. He grunted in surprise. "_Expelliarmus_." It was practically lazy, the way she'd said it. Professor Grenholt was grinning almost as broadly as Lily as she cast her final spell. "_Aguamenti_." She laughed as his face was pelted with water jetting out from her wand.

"Well done, Ms. Potter." Grenholt sent an amused look in Scorpius' direction. "You as well, Mr. Malfoy. _Liberacorpus_." He stood and picked his wand up, extremely befuddled.

"That was _not _normal. Not for a second-year." Lily jabbed her finger into his side.

"You tried to send a flock of books at me." He grinned.

"Well, maybe." A few more pairs duelled before the class ended.

"They're never going to let me live that down." Lily looked sad, and bothered Scorpius to no end that he didn't know why.

"Who?" She smiled wryly.

"Gryffindor. My brothers will be happy, of course. Actually, it's only really the second-years that have a problem with me." She shifted and fidgeted as they walked to the Great Hall. The corridors of the castle were empty, as they had been walking at a slow pace.

"Why? You were brilliant—and won them loads of points! Which reminds me—don't do that anymore. _I _get a hard time because Gryffindor is going to win the House Cup again."

"Stay on course, Score." She sounded amused, and for this, Scorpius was happy.

"Right. So—why?"

"They…you know how my father defeated Lord Voldemort?" Scorpius almost flinched at the name. People still had taken a liking to referring to the Darkest wizard of all time as 'You-Know-Who' or 'He Who Must Not Be Named'. He nodded, nevertheless. "They think…something's wrong with me."

"_What_?!" Her hand clamped down over his mouth. She was on her tip-toes and looking cross.

"Could be louder, perhaps? I don't think all of Hogsmeade heard you correctly." He gave her an apologetic look. "Anyway, I heard a small group of them saying that their parents had mentioned a connection from Voldemort's mind and my dad's. Some of them—a lot, actually—think I may have something wrong with me. Something…bad—evil." She was silent for but a moment. "Dark."

"That's ludicrous." She looked at him and shrugged.

"I'm glad you think so. I don't—er, haven't let it get to me. It's becoming worse as classes progress. Today, I think will be the worst." Scorpius was glaring at her, though his anger wasn't directed for Lily. "What?"

"'What'? You ask me, 'what'? What do you mean, _what_?" Lily was looking at him with wide eyes. "You can't _possibly _be okay with…with…_that _being said!"

"Scorpius, calm down. There's no reason to get riled up."

"No reason! Maybe it's _because _you aren't denying it that it's getting worse. Did you ever stop to think that by not denying it, you _look _like there is some bad, evil, wrong—" he couldn't bring himself to say 'Dark', "—with you?" The silence was then around then, as terrifying and sudden as a gunshot in a library. Lily was watching him with wide eyes, tears threatening to fall over her eyelids.

"You—"

"Lily, I didn't mean—not like that!" Scorpius desperately wanted to take back what he said—anything for some sort of reversal spell.

"I suppose I'm a crackpot to everyone around here then." A tear slipped down her face, quickly followed by others. "I told you because I thought I could trust you." Then she was walking away. It took Scorpius a moment or two to catch his tongue.

"But—Lily, you can! I don't think—you're not—_Lily_!" He yelled after her as she turned a corner and disappeared. He threw his back painfully against the wall and slumped against it. All the while hating himself for his thoughts.

He honestly hadn't thought of her having anything to do with Voldemort, or he wouldn't have been so angry. However, his actual thoughts were not to be praised. _Moron_, he scolded himself, _you made a twelve-year-old cry—and all you could think about was how pretty she was._

**A/N: Alright, it was supposed to be a one-shot. But people put my story on Alert, so now I'm making it a short seven-plus chapter thing. I don't think it will go any further than seven, though. Thank you to those who are reading, reviewing and alerting and favourite-ing! :D**

**It's much appreciated. And will be if you review again! :) Thanks for reading.**

**--Alaina**


	3. Chapter 3

_**Yule Ball**_

"Fifth-years, mate. Can you believe we've only two more years left?" Scorpius only half listened to Gregory as he went on about O.W.L.s and whatnot. He'd secretly been dreading the first day of school—not that he'd have told anyone about it. Lily had completely ignored him throughout the rest of her second year, and he had seen she was going to continue on that same track.

He'd made a show of waving broadly at her as the boarded the Hogwarts Express, completely humiliating himself as she didn't bother to acknowledge him in the least. He'd been feeling worse than the night of Lily's sorting. However, not nearly as bad as he felt when a school owl dropped all the letters he'd sent her in front of him at dinner. All of which were unopened he couldn't help but notice sadly. She was always with her brothers and cousins, so as to show him she needn't his company.

The Duelling mentorship between the two was short lived, as she'd demanded another partner the next day in class. Scorpius had found out the hard way; walking up to Lily and having her turn her back and practice a hex on her new partner. A highly annoying blonde Slytherin to be his new partner. She was dimwitted and dense, though Scorpius made little effort to help her, as he was too busy glaring at the Gryffindor lucky enough to be partnered with Lily Potter.

He'd expected the rumours were long gone, though. She seemed a hit with the Gryffindor students. He was glad for her, seeing as she was happy. He, conversely, had been wallowing and completely rotten to have for company. He looked at her from his table—_worlds away_, he thought glumly—grinning and chatting with anyone who spoke to her. She seemed to excuse herself from the table before standing up and brushing off her robes.

He made an effort to keep his face bland and unreadable as his mind reeled. A year had made a remarkable difference. It was true; he hadn't paid such close attention to her appearance since that night she's cried in front of him. He was unbelievably disgusted with himself. Looking at her now, it still seemed impossible. Maybe only an inch taller, yes; but lacking the lanky and thin appearance she'd carried with her for her first two years at Hogwarts.

He swallowed—inaudibly, he hoped—when his eyes lingered on her newfound curves upon their own accord. She was still thin, still short, still blushing incessantly, still…average. Yet, he couldn't find anything that wasn't remarkable. Her small, rounded shoulders, petite frame, tiny waist, broader hips—everything he remembered was changed. His father had told him once, about how many a male student had been smitten with Ginny Potter.

He didn't see how Lily could ever have the effect. Now—he could. He regretfully noticed, as well, that it was not only he and the Gryffindor boys who had noticed her changes. Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff had eyes wandering and roaming, all the same. Gregory tuned back into his mind.

"Fifteen years old, Score. Two more years 'til we're of age!" Lily left the Great Hall just as Scorpius was falling into a new woe. Yes, two more years until he was of age. And four until Lily was.

"Right." He agreed half-heartedly. "Well, I'm off." Gregory asked him something he hadn't bothered to hear or care about. Truth be told, Gregory was beginning to get on his nerves. It was almost Christmas, and he was still going on about how unbelievable it was that they were fifth-years. In fact, when Gregory had mentioned the Yule Ball, Scorpius was both annoyed and frightened.

More frightened. He hadn't actually realized it had been so near. Not only had he not had time to get a date, he couldn't think of any one girl that didn't fade in comparison to Lily. Besides, anyone remotely interesting would have already been going with someone. He frowned at his dim reflection on the marble floor, thinking it should not have been so hard for him to find a suitable date.

He was Scorpius Malfoy, for heaven's sake. Girls would line up at the chance to go with him—he looked around—and yet, there he was; walking the corridors alone. The first period bell chimed, flooding the corridor with students from the Great Hall. In the distance, he recognized Pamela Creevey. He hurried to walk by her side as she headed in the direction opposite to his own.

"Scorpius!" She sounded surprised, looking at him briefly through wide eyes before raking her fingers nervously through the ends of her hair. "Um—hi." He grinned crookedly at her.

"Hello, Pamela." He glanced over her shoulder and nodded at her friend kindly. "I was only wondering whether or not you'd be interested in accompanying me to the dance?" Her wide happy eyes died to disappointment and what looked like regret. She sighed.

"I'm going with Colin Zabini." She kicked glumly at the floor and slouched over slightly. Scorpius nodded in understanding, quite happy that she was unavailable, despite his urgency.

"That's quite all right. I shouldn't have waited so long—a knockout like yourself was sure to be taken." He said smoothly. He could practically see her swooning.

"I-I could cancel." She suggested. Scorpius laughed good-naturedly.

"Imagine that! The next Ravenclaw match would send me to the hospital wing for weeks!" She tried to laugh along with him, but failed miserably. "Oh, well. I'll see you 'round. Nice meeting you…" The tall blonde extended her hand business-like.

"Lilac Wood." He raised his eyebrows at the name briefly before shaking her hand. He was going to be very late to his potions class—and Professor Goldstone wasn't a fan of tardiness.

--

Once finished with cleaning out his cauldron—a vile stench arising from it, due to a shrinking potion gone terribly wrong—Scorpius placed his books in his bag. He'd knocked one over accidentally, thinking of how the day just wasn't working for him, he leaned over to pick it up. However, beside his own fifth-year text book was that of a third-year's. Brows furrowed, he brought it up to the table; carelessly shoving his book into the sack. Flipping the cover page, his eyes flickered warily onto glittering green ink.

The letters were illegible—some sort of charm, undoubtedly—but for some strange reason, intriguing. His brows furrowed furthermore as he noticed the tip of the cover page coming loose in what looked like an old and overused piece of parchment. Strange, seeing as the book looked well-kept and exceptionally new. His eyes scrutinized the blank page, coming across many sparkling green speckles.

Curious, he didn't mention the book to Professor Goldstone as he left the class and headed to Muggle Studies. Taking out his wand—the halls were once again spectacularly empty, as he was late yet again—he pointed the tip to the parchment and muttered '_specialis revelio_.' Of course, much like he'd expected, the specks remained unintelligible.

He walked into Muggle Studies, ridiculously late—receiving a detention for this—and sat down rather sloppily next to Gregory. Rose Weasley sent him a dirty look, obviously from having interrupted her answer mid-sentence.

"What the hell took you so long?" Gregory whispered to him as the professor spoke about Muggle means of transportation. Something about a '_car_', Scorpius noted for no particular reason.

"Had to stay to clean my cauldron in potions." He muttered under his breath. Rose turned to give them a sharp look before shushing them harshly. Scorpius narrowed his eyes at her before plucking a piece of parchment from his bag and transfiguring it into a paper bird. Its frail wings fluttered against his palm before he set it off in her direction.

Of course, the professor happened to notice them at that particular moment—and sent him to his office for a detention straight after class, having it been the last class of the day. Scorpius grumbled as he packed his bag. Rose sent him a triumphant look.

"Sheesh, what's a guy got to do to get away with being up to no good?" He threw his back of his shoulder roughly.

"Hey, man, you dropped this." Gregory handed him a folded piece of old parchment—its frayed edges looking freshly familiar to Scorpius. He frowned at it.

"Thanks." Walking to the professor's office, he didn't dare unfold the parchment—not with all the students buzzing around him. Realizing where he'd seen the edge of the parchment, he hurried to the office and sat on a chair, hastily opening it.

In curly, green letters, words appeared across the parchment.

_Mssrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot & Prongs_

_Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers are proud to present_

_THE MARAUDER'S MAP_

Before Scorpius could see what 'The Marauder's Map' was exactly, the door to the professor's office swung open. Scorpius put the map back in his bag and sat straight, ready to endure his detentions.

--

Later that night, sitting in his common room, he pulled out The Marauder's Map to look at it clearly. He gawked at it as he realized it was a map of Hogwarts. A very detailed map of Hogwarts. Professor McGonagall's name appeared in front of the headmistress's office as she seemingly walked down the corridors to Ravenclaw's tower. Then, out of nowhere, Lily Potter's name appeared in what Scorpius knew was the Potions class room.

Something clicked in his mind—absurd, he thought it as, because the map could belong to any third-year. But who, what young student, could think of hiding this spectacular map in a _text book_? Lily Potter, cunning, witty and clever as she was, just happened to be in the potions class room. Looking for her text book and map, perhaps?

Scorpius didn't ponder it for any longer as he tore down the hall, not caring if someone found him. He was a prefect, after all. He walked into the room, holding the book and map.

"Looking for these?" Lily turned to him with a startled look upon her features. "_Lumos_." The room filled with the dull light emanating from his wand. Her face was pink and her hair tousled.

"Um…well—that's my book." She neared him and took it lightly from his grasp. She reached for the parchment sceptically. "That's just some old parchment of mind." He grinned at her.

"Or…it could be The Marauder's Map." He smiled as her face grew red and she looked shocked. He opened the parchment and showed her that green ink.

"My brother's are going to kill me." She took the map and pointed her wand at it. "Mischief Accomplished. You can't tell them." She tucked the now blank parchment into her text book before tapping the cover of it with her wand and muttering some sort of charm.

"I won't." He hesitated; she was _finally _speaking to him. "Lily, about last year. I didn't mean it the way it came out—"

"I know." She said softly. "I overreacted." She looked down at her slipper-clad feet as she kicked at the ground. "I'm sorry." Instinctively, his hand reached up to brush a lock of hair behind her ear.

"Well, all's forgiven right?" She smiled and nodded. "Fantastic. Because I'm in desperate need for a date to the Yule Ball." She bit her lip.

"Actually…"

"Oh no. I thought _you _of all people would have been available!" She gave him an angry look.

"You making me rethink that whole apology. I'm sorry I can't be available to your every whim! You know, Scorpius, I didn't really think of myself _that _bad."

"No, no. Not what I meant. It's just…you're a third-year."

"So? A lot of third-years get asked." He nodded, trying to get the words out right.

"I know, but you're…you!" She raised an eyebrow. "Um—not how it sounded."

"Right. Well, I'm tired. Tell me when you decide to form a coherent sentence." He watched her leave before thumping his head against the stone wall.

--

The ball arrived far too quickly for Scorpius' liking. He'd gotten himself a fifth-year date. Marlene was tall, blonde, blue-eyed and pretty. She'd been complimented endlessly on her dress—a deep sweetheart neckline enhancing her cleavage, so Scorpius had been told—but he hadn't exactly noticed. Sure, he'd wondered how she had yet to be asked by another, but she was one of the many that dimmed in comparison to Lily Potter.

"Scorpius," Marlene's hand rested on his shoulder seductively, "would you mind fetching me a butterbeer? I'm simply parched." He smiled at her and nodded briefly, revelling at the chance to leave her company. Half way to the refreshment table located at the end of the Great hall, Scorpius became distracted by the mumbling from in front of the entrance staircase. Inclining his head to see what the commotion was coming from, he noticed people were shocked to see a girl.

It was Lily, Scorpius was both surprised and ecstatic to realize. Her dress, midnight blue, was shimmering and flowing in all its floor-length glory. Other girls had filled out their dresses a bit more than Lily could—but it was expected for someone with such a tiny stature. The modest, wide scooped neckline teased the skin just below the pallid skin of her collarbone, the sleeves only small cap-sleeves just covering her shoulders.

Her hair fell in smooth ringlets, cascading around her face from within the neat bundle of curls on her head. Along the wide neckline and down the edge of fabric along her open back was a line of deep-bronze accenting. Three sole dull-coloured buttons in the same bronze fastened the rest of the dress' back—one of these buttons was placed on each cap-sleeve.

Scorpius couldn't help but to have gawked at her. His eyes were fast scanning the crowd for the lucky bloke that had her for a date. She walked and placed her hand in a Hufflepuff's. Though Scorpius didn't recognize him, it was obvious that many girls were jealous of Lily—though the same could be said for the nameless Hufflepuff. A fleeting thought ran through his mind and Scorpius almost caught himself desiring the freckles her mother had.

He regretted the thought not moments later, when she grinned and followed the lucky arse to the ball room floor. Marlene tugged on his robes, calling for his attention.

"Scorpius, they just called for a dance led by the prefects." She blinked expectedly at him. He found himself wishing she were considerably shorter as her hand found its way to his shoulder. He found it awkward, he was tall for fifteen—but she was tall for a female, period. None the too far off, Scorpius watched—with envy—as the Hufflepuff boy twirled Lily around with expertise and practise. He just about found himself scowling, _it's because she's really graceful_, Scorpius thought agitatedly, _he'd look like a fool with any other partner_.

However desperate his thoughts, though, he could not convince himself of this. Yes, Lily was remarkably light-footed and coordinated, but the boy was a fantastic partner. He was reminded more firmly of this when his own partner grunted from his foot planting rather painfully on her open-toe shoe-clad foot. After what seemed an eternity to Scorpius, the song finally ended with a dwindling, high-pitched note by a sole flute.

Sooner or later all the students and staff of Hogwarts were seated for dinner with their respective dates. Not having much of an appetite, Scorpius settled for pushing around his food and glaring at any Hufflepuff student he could find within the premises. Lily was laughing, smiling and enjoying herself in general. He grumbled to himself, gaining a few curious glances.

He was still a tad peeved she had been so offended he thought she wouldn't have a date to the Yule Ball. It wasn't as though third-year invitations were exceptionally popular. Maybe ten, if it was a bad year—or a good one, depending on how one looked at it. Looking around, Scorpius could only pick out seven third-years, counting Lily.

Now, he only felt like hitting himself in the head with a Quaffle. Of course Lily had been asked to the ball. His was dimwitted to have ever thought otherwise. She was a great date for anyone. She was charismatic, funny, sweet, good-natured, intelligent—and damn well cleaned up nicely, too.

It took him a while to figure out everyone had finished eating and were dancing. His eyes had been fixed on Lily the whole time; his mind running in endless loops of questions, and insults. Directed to the Hufflepuff boy, and himself both. What caught his attention was the look on Lily's face as she watched someone on the dance floor.

She seemed to heave a heavy sigh before looking into her lap, undoubtedly twiddling her fingers round as she so often did. He looked over to the dancing couples—noticing Marlene with Gregory and not caring much—until his eyes fell on Mr. Hufflepuff, dancing with Rose Weasley. Scorpius clenched his jaw as Lily hastily walked by him and out of the Great Hall.

Truthfully, he didn't blame Rose. Many had been asking her to dance that evening, and it must have been hard to keep track. He was, however, incredibly irate with the bloke who'd been fortunate enough to be Lily's date. It was painfully obvious he had feelings for Rose and that they were reciprocated. Standing up in anger he waited where he stood. Torn between finding Lily and taking care of the dancing idiot, he hesitated. Finally deciding on dealing with the Hufflepuff later, he all but ran out the double doors of the Great Hall and into the corridors of the castle; searching for Lily.

She wasn't particularly hard to find. She hadn't gotten far, and was currently cursing fervently at her shoes—one of which had decided upon lodging its heel in the crook between a tile and the wall. As he neared her, he could see the tears streaming down her red face, flushed from embarrassment—though she wasn't aware anyone could see her—anger, tears, and hysteria.

Her unfastened cloak was slipping off her thin shoulder as she tugged ruthlessly at her calf, willing the heel to come loose, but to no avail. He bit his lip, frustrated with his feelings of amusement and adoration. He only became aware of how close he'd gotten when she was in reaching distance and looking up at him with wide, glistening eyes.

"Sc-Scorpius." She swallowed, trying to clear her throat as her voice had come out raspy. "Hi." He let a tiny smirk pull at his lip.

"Hi." He raised an eyebrow. "Would you like some help with that?" Her face flushed deeper. "You look a little stuck. Her laugh was somewhat hysterical and sounded mildly psychotic.

"Um—well." She looked down at her leg helplessly. "I tried getting it out—it just won't budge." He was amused all over again.

"Did you try taking the shoe _off_ your foot?" She blinked and let her head fall against the stone wall before gesturing to her leg. "I guess that's a no." He mumbled loudly before kneeling down and wiggling her heel out of the tight crook. It was harder than he'd expected, her thin, bronze heel seemed impossibly stuck. He had to slip her foot out of the small, round-toed shoe in order to wiggle it vigorously.

She gnawed on her lip as he helped her foot back into the shoe. Her face was a bright red as he rose to his full height.

"Thank you." They were standing remarkably closer than Scorpius had expected. Still, even in heels and standing on a step above him, he was taller than her. Granted, not by much now, but Marlene had never appealed to him the way Lily had with her petite posture. He was thrilling at the lack of space between the two of them, and was ecstatic when she seemed to move forward even the tiniest bit.

"_Oh, Lily Loony Potter_

_Was dressed all nice and prim,_

_With a painted face,_

_And a Hufflepuff date,_

_She was destined for good fate_!" Lily practically growled.

"Shut up Peeves." This of course, persuaded the poltergeist to sing louder.

"_Lily Loony Potter,_

_Was jealous as could be_

_When the Hufflepuff boy_

_And the Weasel girl_

_Fell in love that very night!_" Now, Scorpius was becoming angry. Lily was looking sad again; it mingled with her anger and gave her a look of pain. Scorpius was rather affected from that.

"Go away, Peeves." He said harshly to the highly annoying ghost.

"_Lily Loony Potter,_

_Was a running from the ball_

_Crying boo-hoo-hoo_

_When she lost her shoe_

_Thinking she'd be there all night._"

"_Peeves_!" The two of them shouted together. Peeves amplified his noise level.

"_Lily Loony Potter,_

_Saw Buggy Malfoy near_

_She wasn't blue_

'_Cause he fixed her shoe_

_A happy couple were the two_!" Scorpius glared at Peeves with the utmost hate.

"If you don't leave now, I'm going to get the Bloody Baron." Peeves squeaked and fled the sight immediately. Lily huffed.

"Should've said that earlier." She shifted uncomfortably form her spot on the steps. Scorpius shrugged.

"Oh well. See? You should have come with me. We could have laughed at the Hufflepuff boy and Rose then teased her for being so shy and embarrassed around him!" Lily smiled, to his relief. He thought she was going to take it the wrong way again.

"Yeah; I should have." She smiled again before yawning.

"Tired?" Her face pinked.

"A bit." She admitted. She yawned again and gave up, telling him she'd best be off to bed. "The girls are going to send a million questions my way, anyhow." Scorpius nodded his understanding.

"Okay." Though tremendously disappointed about Peeves' interruption, he was glad they were no longer fighting to the point of ignoring. She bit her lip in hesitation before leaning forward quickly and pecking his cheek.

"Bye!" She squeaked rapidly before tearing up the steps to the Gryffindor common room. Scorpius leaned against the wall, much as he'd done the previous year, and slid to the floor. He was wearing the most foolish grin and was quite okay with his thoughts. _She looked so amazing_, he thought proudly. _That Hufflepuff is a complete moron_.

**A/N: Yay!! Another chapter! Okay, it's alright, I guess. Pretty long too. Thanks to everyone who reviewed and put this story on Alert. And I just want to say, that if you are reading this, I really would appreciate it if you did review. I understand you just don't feel like it sometimes; but I got a lot of Alerts from people who didn't review.**

**Just saying, it's really appreciated. Thanks for reading!! :D**

**--Alaina**


	4. Chapter 4

_**The Littlest Seeker**_

Scorpius dreaded sixth year. The mere thought of being one year from the last year at Hogwarts was vomit-inducing. He wished, as the last week of his fifth year dragged on, that he could be stuck there until Lily could move on _with _him. He'd thought back to his third year. The first time he really _saw _Lily. The cute eleven-year-old had transformed frighteningly into a stunning fourteen-year-old. Somehow, Scorpius hadn't enjoyed the newfound beauty.

Well, that was a lie. He _did _enjoy the view, to be honest. Actually, he enjoyed it far more than should have been allowed. He often found himself staring where his eyes should not have wandered. It seemed unlikely that a mere two months—though they went unbearably slow for Scorpius—could impact her so. Gregory dug his elbow in Scorpius' side.

"What?" He snapped at his friend. Gregory lifted an eyebrow and gestured to the recently emptied Quidditch changing-room. "Oh." He mumbled distractedly. _I should be more observant as the Slytherin seeker_, though Scorpius absently. Despite this revelation, his thoughts wandered again. Yes, Lily was in fact a knockout.

It was a shame other boys began to realize this. He would find himself glaring at many, almost as often as he found himself gaping at Lily. Everything had gotten so much worse after the Yule Ball. He kept having odd dreams about kissing Lily. He didn't think it normal that he was dreaming of their first kiss. Sighing, he walked out onto the pitch.

Slytherin had been doing spectacular thus far in; only losing once. As it happened to be, they'd yet to play Gryffindor. He almost dreaded the game that neared them. Apparently, since James Potter had left Hogwarts, they had found themselves a fantastic new seeker. He had no idea as to who it was, though. He'd been too wrapped up to care for names.

Who could defeat Scorpius Malfoy, after all?

The captain, Holly Skinkle, had been holding gruelling practices all week. The last Gryffindor game was a spectacular win, according to the word Scorpius had heard. The snitch caught only moments into the game. He fretted the seeker would be more cunning than he expected. He glanced at his broom. Surely, his broom was the fastest.

"I want to see all of you sweating and drenched by the time practice is done with." Scorpius cringed as Skinkle's loud voice came in contact with his ear. "I want to see you in _pain_ when this practice is over. I'm talking nosebleeds, wind burns, calloused hands," her fierce gaze landed on me, her voice raising an octave higher, "and the bloody snitch in your hand _every five minutes_, Malfoy." He raised an eyebrow.

"I can hear you, mate. No need to yell." Skinkle growled before mounting her broom and flying onward.

"You're lucky you've got some bloody talent." He heard her mumble as he mounted his own broom. Smirking he circled the pitch until the gleaming spec of gold caught his eye. Somehow, Holly had swung it with Professor McGonagall to have a practice only hours before the game before Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. Having defeated Hufflepuff just the day before, Slytherin was in first place so with a win of three-hundred-sixty to fifty-five.

Whether Gryffindor defeated Ravenclaw determined who would be considered second, third and fourth. The game between Slytherin and Gryffindor, followed by Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, would make it indefinite. If Hufflepuff lose again, they are out of the tournament, likewise with Ravenclaw or Gryffindor. The two remaining houses would, naturally, have the final game. Slytherin had been doing not well until the year in turn.

Suddenly, something zoomed by his ear, thinking it was a rogue bludger, Scorpius ducked. Then, noticing little passing air, his eyes snapped upward, seeing the tiny golden ball, taunting him forward with its fluttering silver wings in a sporadic dance. His hand darted left, the snitch to the right. His hand right, the snitch left. Snarling at nothing in particular, he glared at the little ball, wanting nothing but to cease its incessant twitching.

The snitch flitted upward in a zigzag pattern. Scorpius bit his lip, watching the odd snitch. Never witnessing something so irregular he drew a conclusion that the snitch was charmed. Not being able to think a counter-charm, for he knew not the spell cast upon it, he watched closely, following its movements. Seeing a pattern, his hand shot out left, when the snitch darted right. Grinning as the silver wings fluttered between his fingers he lowered down to the centre of the pitch, holding the snitch high above his head.

"Incredible! Took you all of three minutes." Gregory clapped him on the back.

"You figured out my charm. Well done, Malfoy. Maybe you aren't such a useless bloke!" Holly pointed her wand at the snitch and its erratic movements halted. "Of course that won't happen in the game, but it proved how well we play." Two gruelling hours of practice later, Scorpius was peeling his gear from his sore and sweaty body. He put his school robes on and walked back to the pitch.

He'd yet to watch Gryffindor play, but figured it was best if they were to play well the next day. Of course, it had not escaped his mind that Lily Potter would probably be there as well. After all, her house was playing. It was mere minutes from the starting of the game. He watched as the Gryffindor team filed onto the pitch, along with Ravenclaw. Looking for anyone that looked particularly like a seeker, though he had no idea was a seeker 'looked' like, his eyes scanned swiftly.

They fell upon a small player. He scoffed. Were they truly worried about _losing _to a team that recruited a midget? He scoffed a second time. The two teams mounted their brooms and pushed into the air. Scorpius gawked as the little one flew out of sight. He strained his eyes, looking to find the person again. Suddenly, someone was diving in the middle of the pitch, gaining many ooh's and ah's. His eyes widened as they executed the perfect _wronski feint_.

His was vaguely aware that his jaw had dropped as he noticed the golden snitch flitting around just out of reach. Gryffindor beaters were situated around the seeker as protection. It seemed everyone and everything else had halted, in sheer interest. Slowly, and rather impossibly, the seeker sung their leg around, basically riding the broom like a horse being ridden side-saddled. The seeker hoisted up until he or she was crouched on the broom, reaching up and stretching their ligaments.

Grinning and sitting side-saddled again, the seeker lifted their fist and trusted in the air, the snitch's silver wings beating dully against their fingers. Coming to the conclusion the seeker was female—so small, it was hardly possible to be otherwise—he shook his head in amazement.

He had to compete with _that_?

She'd spotted the snitch from the top of the pitch!

Dumbfounded, Scorpius found himself walking to Slytherin chambers, and forgetting the password. He glared at wall opposite to the chamber doors. Leaning heavily against the rock, he crossed his arms and tormented himself with images of how tomorrow's game would end. Two minutes in, Gryffindor would be landing on the ground, grinning and hooting while Scorpius was oblivious, still circling the pitch—looking for the snitch.

Not the worst he'd thought up, sadly enough.

Alas, Gregory bound through the corridor. Scorpius sighed and waited for his friend to say the password, before remembering it was _Parseltongue_. He actually had no idea who had chosen this particular password, or why. But remembering who the last known remaining Parseltongue in the wizarding world was, he forgot the pondering. He hadn't seen Lily at the game, as he'd hoped he would. It seemed the day was only disappointment after another in a continuous cycle.

"How about that game?" Scorpius grumbled conspicuously before kicking an object unbeknownst to him.

"I'm doomed. Could we leave it 'till the morning?" He snapped harshly. Gregory raised an eyebrow.

"Mate, you aren't the only one on the team." Scorpius ran a frustrated hand through his hair, making it stick up on end. He wanted to shout. Tell Gregory that, he may not have been the only team member, but he was the most important. If the Gryffindor girl caught the snitch, the game was over and they would have to settle for third of fourth place.

Contrary to popular belief, _the game was on him_. If they lost, no matter what anyone _spewed _in his direction to console him, it was his fault.

Because he'd be too bloody busy dreaming about Lily Potter.

To stop from lashing out, he grunted a good night before retiring to his dorm.

--

Scorpius was determined not to let the Gryffindor seeker get to him. No matter how advanced she was. He waited patiently for the game to begin. It hadn't been a moment, really, but it felt like hours to Scorpius. He was tempted to fly down there and blow the ruddy whistle himself. Though these thoughts were definitely making him anxious, they were the only thing stopping him from looking at the seeker in front of him.

He was barely holding on to his sanity when he noticed the broom the Gryffindor seeker was on. He felt a little better that his ego had inflated a little—a Nimbus 2002 wasn't anywhere near his Firebolt 0.3. It wasn't even supposed to be available to the wizarding world yet, but his father had a few connections. He nearly grabbed the snitch when it circled him and moved on, as it usually did before each game.

_Finally_, the whistle was blown, and without realizing the action, Scorpius looked up to see none other than Lily Potter. He gaped, because he couldn't move any other part of his body. Lily seemed oblivious to his shock and she flew higher and circled the pitch. The only thing he could think of was the fact that he didn't want to play anymore. If he won, then that meant Lily lost, and she wouldn't be particularly happy about that—especially after the amazing way she'd played so far. If he lost—well, he lost to Lily Potter; a Gryffindor, a Potter, a fourth-year—the repercussions were serious, either way.

He decided he would play fair. Nothing too drastic, but if he would more likely be a Crumple-Horned Snorcack than if he wasn't trying his hardest. He couldn't play rough with her, but the sense of dominance he'd felt back in his fourth year had returned. It was no longer a lose-or-lose situation. If he won then he could boast, which was probably exceptionally superficial, but ideal; however, if he lost, then he was just pathetic. Besides that, all the hard work he'd been through the whole season would be for nothing; not to mention the lashing he'd get from his team-mates and the rest of Slytherin.

Though he would have to wait until Slytherin was fifty points up on Gryffindor, he kept his eyes out for the snitch. Lily was a fantastic seeker from the one match he'd witnessed and he feared he'd need all the help he could get. Every once and a while, he would care to tune into the commentary, just to see how things were going.

"Skinkle makes a _fantastic _save! Seventy to twenty—Slytherin! Malfoy is nowhere to be seen, though, rumour has it that he's got a thing for Gryffindor seeker—"

"You are here for _commentary_; not a gossip column." McGonagall's voice cut in immediately. Scorpius was glad for this, though not much had been salvaged other than Lily's name. He began frantically looking for the snitch now. To his astonishment, it was hovering right in front of Lily, taunting her. She was glaring at the golden ball with the deepest—and most amusing—look of hatred Scorpius had ever seen. She seemed to have the sense to glance over though, as if to make sure Scorpius was dense enough to not have noticed the obvious, flitting ball.

She slumped over momentarily before gaining posture, her face now completive instead of loathing. This worried Scorpius, because she would obviously be thinking of a way to make sure he didn't get the snitch. He didn't feel the need to pay attention to the score anymore, he was going to get the snitch, or die trying.

Skinkle would be proud.

He leaned forward and his broomstick, the golden snitch in his line of site. He forced himself to forget about the perplexed-looking Lily; to just concentrate on the elusive ball. He was moments from grasping it, so close to the glory of winning the Quidditch Cup—moments from taking someone else's pride for their own, moments from the rights to boast, moments from being praised—when Lily had practically materialized in front of him.

"Whoa!" A smart person would have had the sense to go around her, over, under, left or right—a good seeker wouldn't have stopped mid-air. Scorpius Malfoy was, apparently, an idiot. It wouldn't have been hard to simply deviate from the path and go around her, as she had stopped moving, but he paused with her. Which led to his next question: why had she stopped?

"Hey, Score!" She said perkily over the howl of the wind. He could hear the confused and angry shouting from the spectators so far below them as they hovered. He raised an eyebrow at her. She looked around in a silence before glancing at him, grinning and taking off downward. Snapped out of his stupor, he continued his original path to the snitch and shot higher into the sky.

It took him a couple of moments before he finally heard the current standings. _One-hundred-twenty to seventy—Gryffindor!_ Uh-oh. Again, he bolted, this time down toward the pitch to spot the snitch and Lily to see where she had gone off to. Seconds later, he spotted her, flying faster than should be possible—straight toward the tower where all the teachers were seated. He was able to get one look at the comical expression on his potions master's face before there was a huge pile of people on the stands. It seemed that everyone had stopped to look at the wreck.

"Lily Potter _collides _with a tower—what's going on over there? You can't even separate one person from the next!" He tuned out the announcer and flew cautiously toward the tower. Suddenly, there was one thin arm being thrust in the air, with one tiny fist attached, pumping up and down excitedly. I stopped flying. "She's got it! Lily Potter's caught the golden snitch!"

--

Scorpius was feeling extremely low, to say the least. Lily, being the good sport she was, had even found him after the game. Of course, he didn't see the good in that until much later, because did she really need to rub it in his face?

"Score! Hey, great game, mate." She grinned, shifting the giant trophy from one arm to the other. He glanced at her briefly before nodding and turning his attention away. "You were awesome. Really." She tried again; giving him compliments he knew couldn't have been real. He knew he wasn't great—exactly what he was afraid of had happened. He was at the top of the pitch when she spotted the snitch, and she had made an amazing catch. What else was new?

"Whatever, Potter." He mumbled, noting to himself that he had never referred to her as this. It was reserved for her brothers—she was Lily. Just Lily. It worked. She reeled back and gave him a quizzical look.

"Potter?" She repeated, in a disbelieving tone. He shrugged.

"'S your name, isn't it?" He asked numbly. He saw her shoulders drop from the corner of his eye and tried not to watch as she handed the trophy over to someone else and nudged him away from the crowd. "What do you want?" He asked when they were alone. She frowned up at him.

"I want my friend, not this git! What is your problem?" She asked fiercely in a low voice. He looked down at her as she glared. She looked impossibly intimidating, even though her head was almost tilted all the back so she could look him in the face.

"I don't have a problem. Go and have fun with all your Gryffindor friends. Congrats on the win." His voice sounded cold, even to him. He'd never spoken to Lily like this, and he could tell she was as shocked as he was.

"So this is about Quidditch." She whispered. He watched as she lowered her gaze to her feet before backing away slowly. It was only when she looked up and had a brief glimpse of a quivering lip that he felt tremendously guilty. He hadn't wanted her to _cry_, for Merlin's sake. Why did this have to be so complicated? Why did she want to be his friend so _badly_? Couldn't she just give up and admit to the inevitable, that they just couldn't be friends?

She was so wrong. It wasn't about Quidditch. It was about Slytherin, and Gryffindor, and Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff. It was about how, on the list of who could not befriend whom, Gryffindor and Slytherin were second only to Potter and Malfoy. She could have been anyone else. She didn't have to be a split image of her mother, nor have the same short-temper and hot-head as her father. Moreover, though, was that he was a Malfoy. Filthy rich and evil. _Thanks Lucius_, he thought as he kicked the ground while on his way to the Slytherin common room.

He couldn't handle all the chatter and the insults, directed both at him and Lily, but couldn't think of a way to leave it all behind. Until Gregory offered him a bottle of firewhiskey. Then, he knew exactly what to do. Unfortunately, that didn't land him in the most…temperate state of mind. It _did, _however, lead him to the portrait of the fat lady, where he sat for Merlin-knew how long, arguing with the fat lady.

"A Malfoy! In my midst! Gryffindor Tower resents the very idea, and yet, here he is! Scorpius Malfoy, drunk off his arse and sitting here as if he will be welcomed!" She wailed for what Scorpius believed to be the four-hundred-twenty-seventh time. He glared at the space in front of him, hoping to find something to throw at her.

"Shut it, you crone." He spat viciously, with just a touch of a slur. Okay, so it was a large slew of words, but nevertheless, the fat lady understood. At least, that was his impression from her gasp.

"Young sir, I feel obliged to ask you why you are _here_." He looked over at her as she lifted her nose in the air and sniffed down at him. He rolled his eyes.

"Because I'm a twit who can't control his emotions and makes girls cry. Now sod it, would you?" Of course, she didn't, which only provoked Scorpius further.

"Ooh…a Malfoy feeling guilty for hurting a poor little Gryffindor girl? Which one? Do tell, do tell. We all need a healthy dose of gossip in our lives." She taunted. Had he not been completely inebriated, he would have said something vulgar in response, however, seeing as he _was _drunk he didn't.

"Lily Potter. I was the biggest git in the world to her. I just can't help it, she makes me defensive and angry and happy and annoyed and awestruck all at once. I act completely on impulse whenever I'm around her." He gushed and slurred, almost making it impossible for the fat lady to understand him. She gasped once again, though, confirming that she had heard him loud and clear.

"Lily Potter! My word, boy, you are in over your head, aren't you?" She tittered on, and with a sigh, Scorpius easily tuned her out. Whatever stopped her incessant yelling was good enough for him. Sadly, the fat lady's _new _source of creating noise, though it pleased Scorpius, was not pleasing to the Gryffindor students. Most specifically, Lily Potter.

"Scorpius! What _are _you doing here?" She kneeled by his side and grabbed his face so that he was looking at her. He gave her a sloppy grin. "Merlin's beard, you're absolutely drunk!" She whispered, utterly shocked and angry. "What is wrong with you, you idiot? Do not tell me this is because of _Quidditch_, or so help me, I will—"

"This isn't about Quidditch, Lily. It's about you." He said as he shook his face from her grasp and stood up. She gaped at him, offended. He hastily continued. "You're so perfect and wonderful, and you just don't see it." Gingerly, he took her jaw into his grasp and ran his thumb along the smooth skin. "You drive me absolutely mad."

"But…I just want to be friends, Score. You're the one who always flips out and does something ridiculous. For example, _getting drunk and arguing with a painting in the middle of the night_! You should be thankful that I have the Marauder's Map, or we would have been caught by now." She was beginning to look dazed, though she continued to rant about how immature he was.

"That's the problem, don't you see? Lily, I _can't _be your friend." She stopped moving all together and stared at him, completely bemused.

"What do you mean? Of course we can. I swear, Scorpius, if this is because of our last names or because of our houses…" She trailed off, looking him in the eye. True, he wasn't sober, she knew that—but right then, the intensity in his eyes conveyed that he was being as honest as he could have ever been sober. "But it is, isn't it. Everything you've ever done and said and then all those times you retreated. It was like taking one step forward and ten steps back—it's all because I'm a Potter, isn't it?" He domed his head, ashamed.

"Lily, you could quite possibly be the most incredible person I have ever met. But none of it matters because…because…" Tears had begun to well up in her eyes, despite her efforts to stop them. Once again, her bottom lip was quivering as she shook her head in protest.

"No, Score, it doesn't matter. Not anymore. We aren't our parents; I'm not my mother _or _my father." She reached up and caressed his cheek. He felt himself lean in to the touch, but his gaze remained glued to her face. "You are not Draco. I know you, and I know that if Voldemort," he cringed a little at the name, "existed right now, you would never become a Death Eater." _She's right_, he thought, _we aren't our parents. But that doesn't change the fact that a Potter is always a Potter, and a Malfoy is forever a Malfoy_.

"I would sooner die." He whispered to her. He felt clarity returning to him in those moments, somehow. Tears had slid down her flushed cheeks as she desperately tried to convince him that they could be friends. He wasn't hearing her words, though. Her voice was a hum in the background of his thoughts, which eventually halted when he found himself leaning toward Lily for the second time in his life. He was vaguely aware that her voice had halted as well.

"S-Scorpius?" She questioned him, but her only answer was his lips pressed to hers in a shockingly delicate way. When their chaste kiss ended briefly, Lily emitted a small whimper, driving Scorpius absolutely mad. He reconnected their mouths, more forcefully this time. Lily was shocked when she felt the cold wall beneath her back and Scorpius' heated torso against her fingertips. He gently sucked at her bottom lip and ran his tongue along it until her lips parted slightly.

She gasped when his breath mingled with hers and his tongue slid hotly into her mouth. She felt that everywhere his hands brushed combusted into flames, and that every touch only added heat to the burning in her stomach. Losing herself, she shyly put her fingertips against the hem of his shirt, pushing it aside until she touched the smallest amount of his skin. It was then that she became aware of how his hands were already on her bare waist beneath her night shirt.

Gasping loudly, she pushed him away. He stood at a short distance, grey eyes clouded over with an emotion Lily didn't understand. Frustrated with himself, he roughly rubbed at his face before watching her with an apologetic eye.

"I told you we couldn't be friends." He whispered before placing a fleeting peck on the corner of her mouth and leaving her in the silent hall.

--

The next morning in the Great Hall, Lily watched Scorpius from a distance, wondering if he remembered what had happened the previous night. The way he went about his day nonchalantly, she seriously doubted that he had even a single clue. However, she wasn't one to go on guesses, so she knew the only way to surely know would be to ask. So that's precisely what she did. She pulled him aside as everyone filed out of the Great Hall and headed to their first class of the day.

"Scorpius!" She called to him breathlessly, hoping that he would hear her above the chatter of the crowd. He turned to her with a grin on his face.

"Oh, Lily! I was looking for you; I was going to apologize for yesterday." Lily grinned as her heart leapt out of her chest. She shook her head and laughed. "I was the biggest git in the world. I was out of line to say that to you. I was just upset over losing the game. You played brilliantly, you know." He smiled his most handsome smile at her, making her heart skip a beat and making her happiness falter as she realized he wasn't recalling their late-night meeting.

"Oh." She mumbled dejectedly. "Right, no problem, all's forgiven." She smiled at him, hoping it didn't look like the grimace it felt like. As she watched him leave, she sighed and ignored her sudden urge to repeatedly hit her head against the ancient castle walls.

Scorpius on the other hand when sighing in relief as he relished in the fact that he had been able to play off "forgetting" what happened so easily. But as he thought about it, he couldn't help but be simultaneously disappointed because he realized that Lily was right. It was like taking one step forward and ten steps back.

**A/N: AHHHHH. It has been OVER A YEAR. That is insane, even for me. I assure you, this has never happened before and I'm really hoping it never will again. Anyway, I really like this. I'm kind of fond of the way Score and the fat lady go at it and I'm especially content with the word "sod", but that's just a weird little quirk of mine. Well, I hope anyone readings this enjoyed it. I also hope you guys will review. (:**

I hate to sound all pushy and "I need reviews blah blah blah" but it really is motivation. Any reader who is also a writer with a story that doesn't have a lot of reviews knows what I mean. But anyway, if you don't feel like reviewing I totally get it. But please, if you're going to continue reading, I'm hoping to get at least one from you. It makes me smile. (:

Thanks for reading!

--Alaina


	5. Chapter 5

_**His Final Year**_

Scorpius didn't think it was right to feel sick with dismay, as opposed to sick with excitement or maybe even nervousness, like the rest of the seventh year Hogwarts students. As he stepped off Hogwarts Express, he didn't think about what it was like to be of age, and he wasn't looking forward to leaving Hogwarts and starting out in the real world. Admittedly, he was happy to have free reign of his magic, but for him, that was the only positive.

His mind was forever wandering back to Lily Potter, despite his efforts to keep his mind off that topic. Since the "incident" in his sixth year—the memory was still painfully clear, particularly the part where he had claimed to forget about what had happened—the two of them probably had the best friendship Hogwarts had ever seen. It was a shock for him, to say the least. But, he supposed, it was probably because when he had fallen for Lily, he hadn't only loved her appearance.

Actually, the first time he'd laid eyes on her, he didn't find her all that good-looking. She was average—hell, she was eleven. But, now, at the age of fifteen, it was apparent to _everyone _that Lily Potter had finished with her awkward years and had flourished into a fine female specimen. It was a shame that he'd "forgotten" their midnight rendezvous that night. He often wondered what would have become of their relationship if he had told the truth the morning she confronted him.

It was this terrible thought that always made him recoil from his own mind. Sure, there was the slight chance that if he had been honest, then he would be a whole lot closer to his goal, but it could also work the other way around. As much as it pained him to be nothing more than her friend, it was much more painful to be her enemy. He had learned this the hard way, multiple times. After experiencing that, well, he would do anything to be on her team without hesitation.

"Score!" Of course, it was a bit complicated, trying to get over his infatuation when she was always so happy to see him. "I've missed you so much! You have to tell me all about your summer. You're so lucky, getting to use your magic without punishment. I can't wait until I turn seventeen." She grinned at him as she unwound her arms from his neck. Forever amused by her rambling, he smiled and pressed a friendly kiss to her cheek, as per what had become a usual occurrence for them.

"I think your brother is about ready to hex me into oblivion." He whispered dramatically to her before casting a glance at Albus, who was glaring at him abhorrently. Lily rolled her eyes and waved him away. "Apparently, _someone _is too popular for her own good." Playfully, he poked her in the head, shoving her forward as people had begun to complain to them for obstructing the walkway.

"_So…_what was the first spell you cast? Tell me, tell me!" She bounced as she awaited his answer. He looked away, not being able to completely rejoice in seeing her again when he knew that he would be leaving Hogwarts in months that would pass far too quickly.

"A cleaning spell. It was after the party." He said dully, trying to annoy her. It worked, he noted with a satisfied smirk, as she elbowed him roughly. He pretended to be hurt for her sake, but really, he didn't mind the abuse.

"C'mon. Do something." She taunted with a sly smile. He swallowed through a dry throat and averted his gaze. Yes, there was plenty about her to love, however, that didn't mean he was immune to the fact that she was incredibly attractive. She had practically every guy under a spell, and he was no exception. In fact, he was worse off because he knew all her quirks and charms and had to deal with them everyday. Not that he minded.

"Tempting, but no." He said in a monotonous voice. Once again, she attempted to hurt him. He dropped his arm onto her shoulder and grinned as she buckled under the unexpected weight before regaining her stability. She pouted up at him as a last resort. It worked. "Fine." He grumbled before discreetly pulling out his wand and waving it at the bright green grass. She watched intently as a mound of soil appeared, and from it sprouted a perfect, long-stemmed lavender rose. He leaned over, plucked it, and handed in to her with a deep, mocking bow.

"What a charmer." She said as she curtseyed back, laughing and taking the rose graciously. They walked together to the castle in a comfortable silence. He looked at her through the corner of his eye and felt his ears become hot as he caught her in the motion of bringing the rose to her face and gently smelling it. He was blushing. _Scorpius Malfoy _had been reduced to a puddle of giddiness and red ears. "Score, do you think we'll still be friends once you leave?" She asked quietly as she gazed down at the rose and fingered one of the petals.

"Course." He mumbled noncommittally. He didn't mention the fact that the very same question had been ripping him apart for weeks and weeks. "I mean, why not?" He said, though he could think of so many reasons. She smiled at him, taking his word to heart. He felt guilty, but didn't want to think of how she would react if he had said that he didn't think they would be friends, or even acquaintances, once he left Hogwarts.

From that time to Christmas, the time had passed quickly and pleasantly. Scorpius had done his best to ignore the gnawing feeling in his stomach he often got from thinking too much about his friendship with Lily. Still, they weren't completely repressible. The memory of that night from the previous year often flooded his mind whenever she was angry or sad or unimaginably happy. He loved it as well as hated it when she was truly angry. She would flush and start ranting and raging as she heatedly paced in front of him. It was amusing—until it brought his mind back to the fact that he was hopelessly in love with her.

At that point, it wasn't all that amusing.

"Shouldn't you be boarding the train?" He smiled at her in greeting as she sat next to him. She looked puzzled. "Don't tell me, Draco disowned you for being in cahoots with a Potter!" She joked and nudged him.

"No, not yet, I'm afraid." He replied, finding her playful behaviour infectious. "Mother and Father are visiting relatives in France. I'm stuck here for Christmas, I suppose." She pouted at him briefly—teasing him in more ways than one—before smiling and wrapping her arms around his broad shoulders.

"Albus and I have decided to stay put as well. James is peeved, since this will be our first Christmas apart, but he'll get over it. Now we can have a Christmas together!" She backed away from a bit as she bounced in excitement. He laughed at her.

"Lils, we always exchange gifts, anyway. There won't be much of a difference." She rolled her eyes and hit his shoulder. He ignored it.

"Christmas isn't only about the gifts, you git." She scolded him light-heartedly. "And besides, we never get to see each other's reactions because we're never together! This year will be great! Other than the fact that I won't get to see Mum and Dad and James." She added the last bit with a tiny frown. He sighed and threw his arm over her shoulders in an attempt to comfort her.

"Well, that's alright. You can watch Albus glare at me so viciously that I'll probably implode!" She rolled her eyes at his lame joke. "I'm being serious, Lily. Look." He gestured toward the lean figure leaning against a wall as he talked to Rose and Hugo. His glasses had slipped low on his nose as he watched Lily and Scorpius carefully and bemusedly. Lily sighed and shrugged.

"He doesn't understand why I want to hang out with you. He thinks you're a pompous, obnoxious, spoiled, smug—"

"I get the picture." He interrupted dryly. She sent him a brief apologetic smile. "He doesn't much like me."

"I wouldn't say _that_…" He raised a sceptical eyebrow at her. "Okay, so maybe he doesn't care for you much. It doesn't matter though. It's my life, and he has no right to butt in, despite what he and James may think about that." She made an irritated face at her brother before standing up. Scorpius followed her lead.

"I have a potions assignment to complete," were the words he used for his parting before he pressed a kiss to her cheek and left. Lily watched as he left the Great Hall before stalking over to her brother and cousins.

"'Lo, Lily!" Hugo welcomed enthusiastically. She paid no heed to him as she rammed her fist into her brother's shoulder. He leaned off the wall and rubbed his shoulders, looking at her with an angry and confused expression.

"What the bloody hell was that for?" He demanded irately. She hit him again, opting to use actions instead of words.

"You—bleeding—dolt!" She punctuated each word with another hit. "Why can't you just mind your own business?" Tired of Lily's persistent fists hitting every part of him they could reach, he grabbed her wrists and pinned them to her sides. She glared at him as she took deep breaths, trying to calm herself.

"If I let you go, will you promise not to hit me anymore without a valid reason?" He asked calmly. This, of course, only made her madder. She nodded curtly, nevertheless. He released her arms, eyeing her warily. She stood there silently and straightened out her robes. Clearing her throat she looked at her brother's face with dignity—before she kicked his shin with every bit of strength she had in her tiny body.

She grinned, satisfied with the loud noise of pain he uttered as she walked away. She felt much better after that.

By Christmas morning, Albus had long forgiven Lily for her outburst and for his severely bruised leg. He grinned at her and sat next to her near the brightly lit tree in the Gryffindor common room. Shockingly enough, they were the only ones there.

"I suppose this is what Hogwarts is like over the holidays. It's so…empty." Albus observed. Lily feigned an expression of awe.

"Wow. I guess you're right!" He rolled his bright green eyes and nudged her with his shoulder. "You know, Al, even though I'm sad we aren't home with everyone, I'm kind of happy to be here with you."

"Me too, kid." He mumbled as he ruffled her hair with his hands.

"I'm not a kid." She grumbled half-heartedly before leaning forward and picking up a gift with his name on it. "Mum and Dad sent this one for you." She told him, picking up the one their parents had given her. Together, they opened the gifts sent from their family members, writing thank you letters to each of them as they went along. Lastly, they exchanged the gifts between the two of them. Lily looked up curiously at Albus from the tiny gift-wrapped item.

"Merlin, Lily, just open it." He rolled his eyes as he leaned back on his elbows. Inside was some sort of music device. This time, her expression was ten times more puzzled. "I know how much you love your Muggle music."

"But…Al, Muggle technology doesn't work on Hogwarts' school grounds. You know that." She looked down sadly at the gift, loving it so much just because he was the one to give it to her. Albus sighed irritably.

"Of course I know that. It's not Muggle technology." He pried it from her fingers and turned it on. He placed one of the ear phones next to her ears so she could hear the music playing. She grinned at him, absolutely elated. "See?" She hugged him tightly before he could say anything else. Actually, she hugged him so tightly he could hardly breathe.

"Thank you, Al. Really." She gushed as she blocked his airways with her so-called sisterly love. When she finally pulled back, his expression was humorously dazed. "Open mine." She was on her knees biting her lip with excitement. He shook his head and chuckled at her peculiarity whilst unwrapping the gift. As he pulled the watch from its place in the box, he gawked at her.

"Lily, this isn't…I mean it looks just like…" He couldn't even get the words out as he stared at the watch in wonderment. Lily smiled with pride.

"It was James'. I begged Dad to take me to Godric's Hollow and we went into their house." She whispered to him, getting Goosebumps as she recalled walking through the forgotten, wrecked home that her father had lived in until he was one. It looked like the last time it had been disturbed was when her father had gotten the scar on his forehead.

"But what about James?" In confusion, Lily almost forgot that their eldest brother's name was James, and it was to this younger generation Potter that Albus was referring to. Again, she smiled triumphantly.

"I've given him something else I found in the cottage. When I found this, I thought of you. I'm not sure why, to be honest." Her brother, for the first time she could remember, was looking at her with tears in his eyes. She almost felt jealous that each of her brothers had inherited such dominant features from their paternal grandparents, while she simply looked like a Weasley, sans the freckles. It wasn't a bad thing, by any means—but it would have been nice to be recognized for being both Weasley and Potter.

"Lily, this is the most amazing gift anyone could ever receive." He whispered to her, engulfing her in a hug. For some reason, she felt tears prickling her eyes. Not for the jealousy she felt for her lack of physical resemblances to her grandparents, but because she wished with all her might that she could have met them, even as a child.

"Al," Lily started to ask once they'd pulled apart, "why is it that you hate Scorpius so much?"

"I don't hate him." Albus defended, but Lily simply lifted a sceptical eyebrow at his statement. He gave her a crooked smile. "I don't. I don't trust him, is all." Lily's eyebrows furrowed as she tried to imagine what Albus had seen in him that made him untrustworthy.

"But he isn't a bad guy, Al, really. You never even speak to him." Albus sighed and put his hands on his sister's shoulders as he leaned forward, trying to convey his message as thoroughly as possible.

"I don't want him to hurt you." Lily looked more confused than ever. Aggravated with her, he sighed and waved his hand at her. "Just go. Go, go—I know he's probably waiting for you." She grinned at him, thanked him for the gift, and all but ran out the door.

"Whoa!" Lily was met with this disgruntled rumble as she ran into Scorpius. "In a hurry?" He asked her, amused. She blushed and smiled at him before playfully punching his shoulder.

"Mind where you're going, Malfoy." She stuck her nose high in the air and walked off. He followed, laughing at her demeanour. He grasped her shoulders desperately.

"Oh, please, Lily, forgive me. I don't know what I'd do without you in my life." He batted his eyelashes innocently. Lily, however, was more affected by this than Scorpius had known possible. A little dazzled by the boy's handsome face and captivating eyes, Lily simply nodded and hummed in resignation. He grinned boyishly and walked her out into the courtyard. Giddy with the anticipation of seeing him unwrap her gift to him, she turned to him and thrust it into his face. He laughed at her persistence.

"Open it, open it!" She bit her lip as she grinned up at him. He chuckled lowly as he took it from her. He opened it slowly, purposely watching her as he did, trying to anger her. "Merlin, Scorpius, just open the ruddy package, will you!" She laughed as she elbowed him roughly. He sent her a sidelong glance, pretending to be hurt.

"Patience is a virtue, you know." He teased, adoring her eager but annoyed expression. She narrowed her eyes at him, but he knew that she was in one of her playful moods by the way her lips kept twitching up into a smile. He opened the package, needing an excuse to look away from her. He was hopeless. Inside the package was a scarf. A Gryffindor scarf. He grinned, absolutely elated. Seeing his joy, Lily reached up and wrapped it around his neck, covering the bland grey scarf he was already wearing.

"You should be a Gryffindor. I think the Sorting Hat's getting a little rusty." She was only joking, but Scorpius felt a pang of pain in his chest. He wished he could be in Gryffindor sometimes. Actually, it wasn't that he just wanted to be a Gryffindor; he wanted to be anything other than Slytherin to make his friendship-infatuation with Lily easier.

Of course, there was still that whole matter of being a Malfoy. That…well, that was something a little more complicated.

"I sense a theme." He mumbled handing over his gift to her. She smiled shyly and held it gingerly. She tore through the gift-wrap, eagerly biting her lip. He looked away, resisting the memories of that night in sixth year threatening to fill his head. She laughed in delight, pulling the odd hat onto her head, dropping her own carelessly into the snow. It was striped with the Slytherin colours, long and pointy, tumbling down to her mid-back. At the end of the point dangled a large, green pom-pom.

"This is amazing, Scorpius." She told him laughingly. Then, alarmingly quickly, tremendous winds and abnormally large snowflakes whirled about the pair, threatening them with a rather unpleasant and cold burial. Hands planted firmly on her head to keep her gift in place, Lily ran toward the castle's nearest archway with Scorpius in tow. Once within the castle's protective walls, the two immediately burst into a spell of laughter.

"I think we've just created a disturbance in the natural world." Scorpius gasped out between his hearty chuckles. Finally, their laughter subsided and stopped bouncing incessantly off the stone walls around them; with a crooked smile, Scorpius lifted his scarf with deliberation and made a show of wiping the corner of Lily's eyes with it. She let out a bubble of giggles and swatted him away. Her playfulness faded quickly as she cast her gaze upward. Scorpius frowned at this, wanting to demand what she could possibly find so important as to pull away from a moment he would surely remember for as long as he could manage to keep any memory.

Those thoughts vanished from his mind when her eyes pealed from the ceiling and locked with his. He didn't even care about whatever she had been so interested in, anymore, though he did have a pretty good idea as to what it was. It seemed like they had been standing there for an eternity before Lily flushed and dropped her gaze to the floor. Seizing this as an opportunity to see if his hunch was correct, Scorpius glanced up to see a fresh sprig of mistletoe had managed to grow from between the small space between the stones above them. He swallowed and grimaced as a piece everlasting-flavour gum scraped its way down his dry throat. He looked back at Lily, who so much as dared to glance at Scorpius from under her eyelashes before deepening even further into her blush.

"Erm…" Lily mumbled quietly, mostly to herself. Preposterously, Scorpius found himself stepping nearer to her and doming his head toward hers; the memories of the night in his sixth year broke into his mind with the forcefulness of a raging river through a rotting dam. "We don't have to…" Her voice squeaked comically, but Scorpius found nothing amusing about this situation.

"It's rotten luck, you know. Leaving the mistletoe without…" He didn't finish his sentence for fear of more blushing on his part. That was ludicrous, of course. He was seventeen, legally a man, and here he was—blushing underneath the mistletoe with a fifteen year old Lily Potter whom he had pined after for far too long. He really ought not to have said that, though. The rational—and, albeit, frightful—part of his mind insisted that he put a reasonable amount of space between them and admit that it probably would make no different, leaving without kissing under the stupid plant, and no one would ever know anyway.

Except he would know, and that was enough argument to banish logic from his wits.

He barely caught a glimpse of Lily's impossibly sweet smile before she lifted herself on her toes and wound her arms around his neck. In a movement he swore was non-existent, their lips were pressed together in a kiss that was completely opposite to that of which they'd had in front of the entrance to Gryffindor Tower.

He thought, finally, that things were going as they were supposed to.

A sixth year student sitting down the table from him gasped and _harrumphed _in displeasure and shame as Scorpius gripped his goblet so hard it shattered and sent pumpkin juice splattering as far as to her sleeve. He couldn't have cared less about her indignation; in fact, were it not for the fact that his hand was now bleeding, he wouldn't have noticed at all.

Quickly, before any teachers at the Head Table could notice what he'd done (though he swore he saw a fleeting, amused smile on McGonagall's face), Scorpius repaired the goblet and mended his cut. He then continued his former act of glaring at the Gryffindor table. More specifically, at Jacob Thomas who had his arm wrapped around Lily's shoulders.

He made a conscious effort to not hex Gregory when he nudged Scorpius out of his thoughts of hatred.

"C'mon, mate. You won't do the bloke in by glaring at him from a mile away. Let it go." He couldn't let it go. He refused to entertain the mere thought of _letting it go_. It had been a month, but Scorpius was still waiting for Lily to realize how stupid this was, and just let him talk to her and tell her it was all a big misunderstanding. So far, any attempt he'd made at talking to her had been met with blatantly being ignored, threats and imaginative curses that resulted in a week's worth of detentions for Lily.

Then Jacob Thomas was suddenly in the picture, and Scorpius had no trouble with hating the bloke after one look at the way Lily smiled at him. Granted, it was nothing like the way she'd smiled at him before she started hating everything about him, but the fact that she was with him was a reasonable enough excuse for Scorpius' repugnance.

He knew she was very hurt by what had happened, and he tried to talk to her and apologize and explain—he tried to do whatever he could. Unfortunately, she wasn't having any of that, and eventually recruited Albus and Hugo Weasley to _kindly escort Malfoy the bloody hell away from her_. Why she was so ready to believe that Scorpius would knowingly (and willingly) do something to hurt her, he had no idea.

How was he to know that once everyone returned from holidays that Lilac Wood had made a resolute decision to kiss him in the Great Hall in front of everyone to see if he would ask her out? Of course, he didn't, but Lily had seen the spectacle and was gone before Scorpius could pry himself away from Lilac. She had still refused to speak to him calmly, or to listen to a single word he had to say.

He knew he ought to let her take her time to work her way over the hurt she was feeling, but time was running out and he could practically already see himself boarding the Hogwarts train for the last time back to King's Cross. He was extremely anxious to put this behind them, but Lily was making that exceptionally difficult.

"Lily!" Of course, confronting her in a hallway was probably not the best idea to urge her along, either. He only thought this, naturally, after shouting after her in a crowded corridor. She turned to him, David's arm falling from around her. He approached her quickly, making the most of this miniscule chance. "Please, just let me—"

"Leave me alone, Malfoy." She glared at him and moved to turn her back to him. He caught her by the crook of her elbow and made her face him. She sighed wearily. "You're making a fool of yourself, Scorpius." He didn't care, though it was most definitely true.

"Lily, I didn't kiss her. She practically attacked me! I didn't want…" Lily was shrugging him off with a cold stare and moving away from him again. She was ten paces away from him when he did yet another stupid act of impulse. "Why won't you just listen to me?" He cried at her desperately. That was evidently the wrong move to make, because the next moment she was brandishing her wand and he was being sent spiralling into the air before landing rather painfully onto his rump.

"I don't have to listen to you, Malfoy!" Scorpius lifted to his feet and moved away from her as she approached him, looking dreadfully livid. She waved her wand again, sending a stream of red light at him. He deflected it as quickly as he could, but a third year Hufflepuff caught it off the rebound. Scorpius was, regretfully, grateful that he had not been on the receiving end of the impressive hex, for the unfortunate Hufflepuff had sprouted small tentacles all over his face.

Lily spared a glance at the boy before turning her attention back to Scorpius. He continued to block her curses, refusing to fight back despite her constant jeering. He could hardly keep track of the spells she was sending his way, sometimes she shouted the incantation, others she simply waved her wand and sent streams of light at him.

"Somebody get McGonagall!" Someone finally shouted amongst the large crowd of onlookers. Unfortunately, this made Scorpius lose his concentration on Lily. Then, not a moment later, he was dangling in the air by his ankle, looking Lily Potter in the eye. Even upside-down, he noticed, she was remarkably cute. She didn't say anything to him; in fact, she appeared to be waiting for him to speak first.

"I'm sorry, Lily." He whispered, very aware that there were students intruding on this private moment. "I don't know what else to say; I've tried to convince you as best I can." Lily regarded him blankly.

"You've nothing to convince me. You're perfectly free to kiss whomever you please. You never promised me anything." Scorpius felt something inside him growl in anger and desperation. Women were too bloody confusing.

"I didn't _want _to kiss her!" Hanging upturned was beginning to take its toll on him. His wand lay useless on the floor below him, and Lily seemed reluctant to let him down. "Merlin, Lily, don't you get it?" Then, to his horror, her eyes were teary and she was waving her wand to let him down. McGonagall was suddenly on the scene, ushering Lily to her office for a thorough reprimanding, no doubt. All Scorpius could think about, however, were the tears that welled up him Lily's eyes.

And how he regretted that it had been him to put them there, yet again.

He was about to board the Hogwarts Express for the very last time. He could have Apparated right out of Hogsmeade, but somehow, this seemed more fulfilling. It seemed like a proper closing for his years at Hogwarts, despite his wishes that he could stay behind with Lily. Even though she hadn't spoken to him since the hallway debacle, he still didn't want to be away from her. He certainly didn't want to leave on this note, positive that they would lose contact.

The image of _his _Lily hugging a tall, dark-haired and rather unpleasant stranger swam in his mind vaguely as he hoisted his trunk onto the luggage rack in the compartment. It wasn't fair. Fate was being particularly cruel; punishing him, perhaps, for his father's and grandfather's wrongdoing. He had finally been with Lily, without consequence (other than the principally ferocious glare that would undoubtedly have been sent by Albus Potter had he been given the chance).

A short knock on the compartment's door tore him from his thoughts. Annoyed with the interruption, he gave the intruder a guttural grunt, hoping they'd take it as a sign that they should leave. To his dismay, they took it as a grant to enter the compartment. Scorpius raised his eyebrows questioningly as Lily entered and plopped herself grudgingly into the seat across from him.

"Are you lost?" He blurted without meaning to. She stayed quiet and, for a horrifying moment, he thought that maybe she would get up and leave.

"All the others are full. Albus refused to let me take his spot in the compartment with Hugo and Rose and some others." He felt his heart sink into his stomach like a pit. That wasn't exactly the response he was hoping for. They sat in silence for the entire way back to King's Cross. Accepting that Lily was no longer interested in being even his friend, Scorpius mumbled goodbye to her before stepping off the train.

He walked along the platform, trying to ignore the scene taking place in his peripheral vision. Lily and Albus, reuniting with Harry and Ginny Potter, as well as James, the Weasleys and a tall, lanky young man with turquoise hair. His own family was waiting for him, at home with a small party, no doubt, but knowing that didn't ease the nagging he felt inside himself.

"Wait! Scorpius, please, wait!" He'd barely had enough time to turn around to face the person who had called after him before there was a cloud of red hair in his face and a pair of arms wrapped tightly around his neck. "I'm sorry. Merlin, Score, I'm really sorry," she hugged him with more fervour; his heart stuttered, "You were right. I was silly to worry and to not trust you—I was really jealous, I suppose—" she flushed deeply but Scorpius felt a sick pride swell inside his chest. He covered her mouth with his, ignoring the fact they were standing on platform nine and three-quarters.

"Oi! What's that bloke doing to my sister?" Grinning, Lily pulled away from Scorpius and shot a glance back at her family. Albus looked mildly surprised but it passed quickly, whereas James, who had been the one to yell and gain the attention of others on the platform, was outwardly shocked and disgruntled. Ginny was wearing a small, crooked smile, rubbing her husband's arm comfortingly as he tried to contemplate the situation and decide how best to handle it.

"You'll write, won't you?" She looked up at him wonderingly. He grinned at her. "Promise?" He assured her in every way he could think, kissing her once more before saying goodbye. Albus, pointedly, looked away while James watched with a careful eye, ready to jump in when he found the interaction to become inappropriate. Harry, on the other hand, looked at though the whole thing was inappropriate and that his daughter shouldn't have been anywhere near any boy whatsoever.

"Oh, relax, Harry." Ginny told him quietly, though, albeit, laughingly. "She's fifteen. The same age you were, I believe, when you snogged Cho Chang? Or, better, _my _age when we went out." She lifted an eyebrow at him, insinuating all they had gone through. Harry turned green.

"She's not leaving my sight for the rest of her life." He grumbled before gathering up his family and leading them out of King's Cross, disregarding the secretive grin on Lily's face, or the knowing one of Ginny's.

**A/N: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. ATTACK OF THE ABSENT AUTHOR. OMG I suck. I totally know it. It's been SO LONG since I updated this. I don't know why, because I absolutely adore this pairing and I'm fond of my idea here. Anyway, I like this chapter well enough. I'll understand if you send me a bunch of hate mail and flames and set up a mini-mob of the interwebs.**

**BUT, if you liked the chapter you can tell me that in a side note with your threats of violence and proclamation of loathing. Just saying, you know. C:**

**Thanks for reading!**

**-Alaina**


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